1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for engaging and handling pipe and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to systems and methods for engaging and handling pipe associated with an offshore petroleum well via an interference engagement with the pipe.
2. History of the Related Art
The discovery, development, and production of petroleum wells that lie underwater, known as offshore petroleum production, has become increasingly significant. Offshore petroleum production allows access to deposits of, for example, oil and gas that might otherwise be unreachable through conventional land-based petroleum production. Offshore petroleum production is considerably more challenging than land-based petroleum production due to harsh environmental conditions. For example, an ocean depth often increases a length of a fluid column associated with an offshore well by several hundred meters. The longer fluid column increases downhole pressures associated with the offshore well and substantially increases a magnitude of energy required to lift produced fluids from an ocean floor to a drilling platform. During offshore petroleum production, sections of pipe are frequently lost on the ocean floor. Sections of lost pipe are frequently unrecoverable using conventional techniques and, thus, represent a significant loss to a company engaged in offshore exploration. In addition, pipelines and flowlines, for transporting petroleum products may become damaged due to, for example, an anchor of an ocean vessel. In this situation, sections of damaged or otherwise abandoned pipeline or flowline will need to be recovered.
In offshore petroleum production, a riser pipe is typically constructed between a top of a well bore, located on the ocean floor, and a drilling platform located above the water surface. The riser pipe acts as a guide for a drill string between the drilling platform and the well bore. The riser pipe also conducts drilling fluid between the well bore and the drilling platform. The riser pipe is typically constructed of several sections of pipe and may, in some cases, include specialized equipment to compensate for movement of the drilling platform due, for example, to ocean currents.
Offshore petroleum production also involves environmental hazards. The most notable environmental hazard is risk of spillage of petroleum products from tanker ships or from pipelines transporting the petroleum products to onshore sites. Spillage of petroleum products can also result from damaged equipment associated with the drilling platform. Situations involving equipment damage or leaks on the ocean floor, such as, for example, damage to a riser pipe, can be particularly catastrophic and difficult to manage. As evidenced by the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the ability to quickly and effectively seal a damaged undersea riser pipe is critical to the ongoing safe operation of offshore petroleum wells.